At some point during the past few years, you’ve probably heard about the honey bee crisis. Maybe you saw a national campaign to save the bees, or read a doom and gloom article about the declining bee population. Honey bees are dying off at an incredible rate, both in the U.S. and worldwide. What you may not realize is that a large portion of the human diet is dependent on honey bees. Some crops, including blueberries and cherries are 90% dependent on honey bee pollination. Almonds depend entirely on honey bee pollination. In short, the threat is real, and it will affect you.

To find out more, I interviewed Alex Cornwell and Megan Ryan, founders of Southwest Honey Co., an initiative to conserve and protect the local bee population. They currently maintain and care for 25 hives in apiaries housed on properties that are naturally and organically kept.